New Moon Fever
by ForteXD
Summary: -Completed- When Inuyasha gets severely injured on the night of the new moon, can Kagome help pull him through the night with her care? IYK
1. Chapter 1: Sleeping Hanyou

Kagome lay awake, struggling to find a comfortable position against the hard wood of Kaede's floor. Not even her sleeping bag seemed to lessen the rigid feel of the planks, on sleepless nights like these. Sighing to herself, she swiveled and rolled her body into a sitting position, her tired arms propping up her upper body. She turned her blue-gray eyes to the pale moon set deep in the night sky, and her heart jumped into her throat.

Tomorrow was Inuyasha's weak night, when his hanyou traits would wane into human ones. Those nights, the group never let their guard down, forming an unspoken ring of protection around Inuyasha. A breathy sigh escaped from between her lips, as dread began to leak through her veins. The night of the new moon was best spent quiet and hidden, but it seldom happened that way. The last time he had turned human, the Inuyasha-tachi had run in to Kouga.....and to Naraku's minion, Kagura.

Flopping lightly on her fluffy sleeping bag, Kagome stole a quick glance at the lean figure stationed in the shadowed corner. His Tetsusaiga rested gently across his left shoulder, as his arms were curled around the sheath in a protective hug. The heavy folds of his fire-rat kimono draped over his hands, fell delicately over his muscled limbs. The white bangs of his shining hair were loose over his closed eyes, hiding the most expressive part of him from view. Kagome couldn't help but smile a little at the relaxed and peaceful expression on his face. He seemed to have dozed off......

She took a few more moments to watch his chest rise and fall slowly with each breath, and admired his perfect face. Without warning, two orbs of gold appeared from beneath the white strands, and Kagome was startled from her reverie. She buried her head in her pillow, a slow blush creeping over her cheeks. He had locked eyes with her for but a second, but the memory of those shining lights burning into her mind bore into her thoughts. He had seen her watching him. Feeling her stomach writhe with embarrassment, she feigned sleep and prayed that he hadn't noticed her leisurely stares.


	2. Chapter 2 As the Day Breaks

DISCLAIMER- I do not own Inuyasha, unfortunately.  
  
As the day broke, long rays of sunshine pooled from underneath the woven door of Kaede's hut. When the bright light reached Kagome's closed eyes, it worked persistently to pry open her shut lids. With a muffled groan into her pillow, Kagome snuggled as deep as humanly possible into her sleeping bag, relishing the way even a makeshift bed felt after a long sleep. Yawning and rotating her sore shoulders a bit, Kagome rolled over to see where the rest of her companions were.  
  
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she noticed that she was alone in the small room. Voices of others floated in from outside. Kagome quickly pushed her socked feet in her brown leather loafers, and stumbled out to meet her friends. Sango, dressed in her normal kimono, with the hair tied back haphazardly at the nape of her neck, sat next to the incorrigible houshi, Miroku, who greeted the 15-year-old girl with a smile.  
  
"Good morning, Kagome-sama! It's a beautiful day."  
  
Sango also smiled at her friend from her place on the grass.  
  
Kagome returned their morning greetings, settling herself next to Sango. "Where is Inuyasha?" For a moment, a shiver ran down her spine as she remembered what she had done to embarrass herself the night before.  
  
Within seconds, Shippo had bounded and barreled into Kagome's lap. She gave him a little squeeze in greeting, and he rapidly made himself comfortable against her breast, spouting out his thoughts in his curling, childish voice. "He's been really impatient, running all over the place. I think he's mad that the new moon is tonight. He would rather go searching for shards then stay here in the hut. If you ask me, he's acting stupid!"  
  
"He should let himself settle down for one night." Miroku frowned thoughtfully. "It's not a good idea to start trouble before the sun sets. He's too stubborn to admit it, though."  
  
Sango nodded, agreeing with the two, glancing at the wooden building behind them. "Houshi-sama, could we seal him in the hut for tonight?"  
  
The monk grinned from ear to ear, remembering the first time he had sealed Inuyasha in a room to prevent him from reopening his horrendous wounds. Inuyasha had screamed, moaned, and hollered until he was hoarse, slamming his feet against the door. But, his attempts were to no avail, for Miroku's ofuda kept the doorway smartly sealed.  
  
Miroku returned to the current situation. "It would be effective, but at the moment he's in no real danger, and it might be silly to lose his trust by tricking him into the hut.though..." He cast a frighteningly wicked grin in Kagome's direction.  
Kagome was a bit flustered by his knowing smile. "WHAT?!"  
  
"Kagome-sama, you could get him to stay in that hut." He nodded towards her, and they could see thoughts were violently bouncing around inside his head.  
  
"Kagome-chan, as much as I hate to admit it, you are the only one out of this group that he cares about enough to listen to!" Sango gave Kagome's shoulder a light, comforting pat.  
  
Kagome blushed a little, a bit angry at the two for putting her in such a compromising position. The remembrance of those golden eyes burning into hers made her stomach shift uncomfortably. "I don't want.Inuyasha..to get hurt.but..I..ano, I don't think I could convince him to stay in a closed hut for that long without him suspecting something!"  
  
Miroku pursed his lips in thought again, his breath shooting out in a thoughtful hum. Within a few moments, his eyes lit with an idea. ".Maybe you won't have to say anything to persuade him!"  
  
Even Sango looked a little daunted. ".but.."  
  
"..how?!" Kagome finished her train of thought abruptly.  
  
"If Inuyasha thinks that you're sick or hurt, he won't leave your side tonight, will he?"  
  
Kagome's insides twisted again. Would he stay with me? Do I want him to? I was staring at him like a complete idiot last night. Can I fake sick without him smelling my fear?  
  
Kagome shook he head reluctantly. "I...I don't know, Miroku-sama. Doesn't this sound a bit excessive? Isn't there a better way?" She looked to Sango for encouragement.  
  
Even her close friend had a wry smile donning her face. "I think Houshi-sama may be correct, Kagome-chan. Inuyasha wouldn't dream of keeping you unguarded if you were sick. I think-"  
  
But Sango's thoughts were swiftly interrupted by a figure in a fire- rat skin kimono entering the clearing. Kagome looked quickly down, finding the grass under her fingers terrible interesting.  
  
The hanyou boy didn't even glance in her direction, swaggering moodily towards the group of four, raising his claws in macho arrogance. "What the fuck are you lazing about for?," he spat out impatiently, his rough voice matching his swagger. "It's been hours since dawn, and here you are, layin' next to the river."  
  
Miroku sighed patiently, fixing the half-demon with an intent glare. "Inuyasha," he said, slowly, as if he were speaking to a small child. "Maybe tonight you should think about giving yourself some rest."  
  
Inuyasha flopped down on the grass a few feet from the others, folding his hands inside his billowing sleeves, his mouth curling into a pout. "You fucking humans are always tired, but hanyous don't have that problem! If you can't stand it, I might as well go by myself to hunt down Naraku!"  
  
Sango sighed loudly. "It's the night of the new moon! Why get yourself into any trouble?"  
  
"Keh! Trouble? I'm not stupid! But we might as well get a head start on Naraku."  
  
"We know you're not stupid, Inuyasha, but you have a knack for getting yourself into trouble when you're human. If we remain hidden and quiet, nothing bad will occur." Miroku hoped that Inuyasha would use his brain wisely in this situation. He may have been smart, but he certainly didn't use his talents when it came to his own safety.  
  
"Remember what happened last time, Inuyasha? You had a run-in with both Kouga and Kagura! And the time before? You almost bled to death from that corrupt sennin."  
  
A snort arose from Inuyasha again, and he bared his teeth at the monk in a self-satisfied grin. "That wimpy wolf? Keh! Who cares about him! I could beat him single-handedly, wounded, while human!" Kagome couldn't help but suppress a smile at his supercilious rants.  
  
"..and Kagura?"  
  
Inuyasha remained silent at this, his face darkening slightly. He gave a half-hearted "Keh."  
  
"So you agree you'll let us keep you out of trouble tonight?"  
  
More silence followed as the dog demon's dark brows slithered down to the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Shall I take that as a yes?"  
  
"No!"  
  
Miroku glanced quickly at Kagome. "Well, you're going to have to, either way!" Inuyasha looked at him as if he had just asked him to dance a tango. The monk cleared his throat, making a flourished gesture towards the dark-haired schoolgirl. "Because Kagome is-"  
  
Before Miroku cold finish, Kagome flinched noticeably, sharply taking in air. Almost immediately, Inuyasha had forgotten his pouting, and had leapt up. A bit of concern for the Miko was apparent across his face, as he positioned himself in front of her. "What? Kagome...what is it?"  
  
She bit her lip, not wanting to let out the information to the half demon. But, when Sango, Shippo and Miroku also gave her inquiring stares, she was forced to tell. "A shard. It's coming closer." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ok, there's not much romance in there at all, but I'm just setting it up. My mind was swerving all different directions when I started this chapter, so we'll see what happens. Don't worry! The fluff will be here soon enough. I'm going to try to write fast on this one, and update as often as possible. If you have any suggestions or comments, I'd love to read them! P.S. your reviews are really sweet! Thanks for the encouragement! You keep me writing to the limit ^_^ ohh man that sounds like a cheesy commercial. *Sadia* 


	3. Chapter 3: The Hunt

Disclaimer - No, no, I do not own IY.  
  
A/N- Wow! Thanks everyone for your encouraging reviews! They make me blush ^o^ They make me work harder, too. If you see any inconsistency in the characters, or there is something you'd like to comment on, I'm open to your viewpoints (of course, mindless flames won't make me change anything..). For right now, it's taking a while for some of my reviews to actually show up on mediaminer, but I'm definitely waiting to read them. Enjoy this chapter, and keep the comments coming! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Last time: The group ponders ways in which to keep Inuyasha out of trouble during the new moon. Just as they think they hit a break with Kagome faking illness, Inuyasha comes barging in, and Kagome senses a shard traveling rapidly in their direction.  
  
Now..  
  
Inuyasha was in front of Kagome in a flash. His fingers flexed again, his knuckles popping soundly in their trademark manner. A dark look flew across Inuyasha's face, and a hint of glee glinted in his golden eyes. "Heh! I've needed this all day!" Baring his fangs once again, he glanced at the monk and the demon exterminator, nodding at them to rise and join him on the hunt.  
  
The two fighters did join him, but not in the way he had expected. The dog demon had not been prepared for the monk's staff to connect solidly to the top of his head. A short whine and long growl followed the hit, as Inuyasha clutched his skull where a bump had popped up. "SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR, BOUZU? THERE'S A SHARD OUT THERE!" This exclamation was followed by a string of muttered curses.  
  
Putting the hanyou in his place again, with his slow and patient drawl, Miroku towered over the slumped figure of the half-demon. "You're not going anywhere, Inuyasha. We can't risk you being injured at all. Who knows how long it will take to subdue this unknown carrier of the shard. You wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of a fight in your human form, would you?" The only reply he got was a clipped growl that hissed from between Inuyasha's clenched jaws.  
  
Miroku made a quick motion towards Sango, and she immediately hefted her bone boomerang across her shoulder, and positioned herself atop Kirara's back. Kagome quickly settled herself behind Sango, gripping with one hand the thick fur of the two-tailed demon, and she secured Shippo next to her body with the other.  
  
And before Inuyasha could make another move, the ringed staff was sent down in another rampage upon Inuyasha's forehead. "Stay there, Inuyasha! Don't follow us. There's no use, so don't be an imbecile." The demon's face twisted in a sour growl. He made to spit out an insult to the houshi, but Miroku had a ready retort. "And we're not telling you what direction the shard is in."  
  
Inuyasha could feel the humorless laughter bubbling up in his throat, as his eyes shined deviously once more. "KEH! Direction?! Complete idiot! I'll just follow you, asshole!" he snarled.  
  
Miroku smiled again, but this time, his lips were forced into somewhat of a grim line. Sighing, he turned to the cat. "Kirara.." The fiery demon was apt to oblige, and rose nimbly into the air. Inuyasha pushed himself up on his haunches, his muscles tensed for a sprint.  
  
"..Kagome..."  
  
Before Inuyasha could even react to the strange quietness in the clearing, a sharp "Osuwari!" rose above the treetops.  
  
"OOMPF!" The figure in red plummeted to the dirt, his face slamming unceremoniously into the ground, while a strain of purple light showed the effect of the prayer beads.  
  
"Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwair! OSUWARIIIIIIIII!"  
  
The three had been moderately quiet since they had left Inuyasha, only conversing about the direction of the shard.  
  
Kagome had pointed out to the west, and Kirara sped in the direction of a high-cliffed mountain, miles off. Her paws cut easily through the clouds, the flames whipping and swaying in the wind.  
  
The fresh wind rushed steadily through Kagome's dark hair, causing it to flutter and whip around her face, and making it hard to see the scenery below. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry that she had to subdue Inuyasha in such a manner, but memories of him trying to kill her, calling her a bitch, and kissing Kikyo flooded into her mind as if they were water into an open channel..maybe she got a little satisfaction from it.  
  
"..Kagome-sama.?" Kagome was startled from her thoughts by Miroku's clear voice. She focused her eyes to the kind monk's face, which was poised in a question. "Is the shard closer? Is it moving fast?"  
  
Within a second, Kagome had channeled that beating, pulsing feeling within her veins that signaled the proximity of a shard of the Jewel of Four Souls. "It...it's stopped moving. It's at the base of the cliff over there."  
  
Miroku nodded, and Kirara increased her speed. As the monk turned to face the direction of their travel, Kagome noticed how he sat with his legs nearly hugging Sango's, and his arms practically wrapping around her waist as he clung to his staff. She was very glad for Sango that, in times of hunting shards, the houshi seemed to temporarily set aside his lust for a woman's body.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but sigh exasperatedly to herself, as Miroku's hand slid beneath the line of Sango's waist. Temporarily...  
  
Inuyasha dug his fingers deep into the wet ground, cursing at the sickening feeling of the soft-packed dirt that lodged itself under his claws, matted against his silver locks, and clung to his cheeks. It took minutes for the stiffness of Kagome's 'attack' to wear off, and still he felt broken. His limbs and head ached from being slammed over and over into a piece of earth that would not budge to soften the blow. He crankily dug out a chip of rock that had stuck itself in his skin, and stood up slowly and painfully.  
  
That Kagome would pay! The nerve! He could handle himself on his own, and it wasn't any of their business whether he got hurt or not! A small nagging doubt crept into his mind, whispering that maybe his friends had done this for his own good...  
  
He growled that thought away, and finished struggling to his feet.  
  
.But..which direction had they gone? Unfortunately, his face had been buried in the ground when the cat demon had sped off, and he had not watched them leave. He sniffed the air ferociously. The ground all around him was littered with their scents, and the ever-changing wind was making his task a little challenging. It didn't help that his powers had faded ever-so-slightly, and his nose was not up to it's usual abilities.  
  
Luckily catching a whiff of the four scents trailing off to the west, Inuyasha bounded towards the forest, and his feet worked against the soil, his toes seemed not even to graze the ground. The sun glared high above him with the rays of early afternoon, and a smirk flitted across his mouth in a wave. He would prove them wrong. Tonight Kagome would be safe, he would not be touched by injury, and they would have another shard in their possession. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Whew. That one was fun to write. OK, I KNOW.still kind of short..but I felt that it was the right place to end it, especially considering what's coming up next ^_^  
  
Oooh.I promise you, the next chapter is being written RIGHT NOW! Don't fret. I'll post it as soon as humanly possible. Or..demonly possible. :p  
  
~$@D!@~ 


	4. Chapter 4: The Attacked Village

DISCLAIMER- once again, and like always, I am NOT the proud owner of an Inuyasha. But whoever does own one- if yours has funny ears and a stubborn expression- please MOVE HIM! He's blocking the way. :p  
  
Again- thank you much for the reviews! I love 'em. I tried to update this thing earlier, but mm.org was down for awhile, so I couldn't ( ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Last time..  
Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Kagome and Shippo head off in the direction of the shard, leaving Inuyasha smashed in the dirt, via a subduing word! But, as the spell wears off, he catches a whiff of their scent. The irrepressible hanyou goes after them, obviously not getting it through his thick skull that they left him there to keep him safe.  
  
Now...  
  
"Could he be following us houshi-sama?" Sango broke the natural silence with a worried inflection in her voice.  
  
Miroku raised his brow for a second, glancing back over his shoulder. "I can't tell, but it's very likely that Inuyasha didn't listen, and is behind us now."  
  
Kagome sighed to herself, imagining Inuyasha spitting out flaming insults to his disappeared friends, and vowing revenge. (She wasn't far from the truth, either). Although the hanyou was a skilled a smart fighter, he never yet trusted his friends to make the right decisions, and certainly would rarely accept their help.  
  
"We could try to trick him out a little by moving in different directions, Sango. Shippo- do you think that would work?"  
  
Shippo clung to the violet wrap of the monk's robes, and looked sincerely into his face. "We could try it! Inuyasha has a strong nose, but, if he's angry he may be fooled easily."  
  
Kagome tensed up when she thought of how utterly beyond pissed he would be when this was all over. He hated being held back by anybody, no matter what their intention. But, their plan had already been carried out, and there was no way they could back out now. Kirara began dutifully swerving left and right, circling a bit in different directions, and, ultimately tracing a path that was in the opposite direction of their goal. When the exterminator and the monk had assessed that they had accomplished enough, Kirara pushed on to the rock cliff, which was quickly coming into focus.  
  
"Stupid..fucking..bouzu..sonofa.....shit..ahhhhhh!" Kagome's prediction on Inuyasha's current activities was entirely correct. Inuyasha stood alone in a sea of trees, clustered together in a dark blanket. The scents of his friends seemed to be everywhere above him, and there was no general direction in which the cat had flown. At one point, the cat demon's scent seemed to have grazed the tops of the trees.  
"I..can't sense them anymore!" He mentally cursed his human heritage, spinning around and hoping to catch a final bit of a clue before his abilities completely vanished for the night. After a few minutes of deliberation, swear words, and animalistic growls, Inuyasha settled on heading the direction he had started out with, to the direct west.  
  
Hoping silently that he was going the correct way, he pushed his feet to fly again across the thicket of the forest floor. He would defeat this demon before nightfall.  
  
They were coming upon the shard rapidly. Kagome could feel it pulsing in her body. She leaned forward so that Miroku could understand her above the whistling wind. "It.hasn't moved. It's practically stayed in the same place for almost half an hour! What.does that mean?"  
  
Sango glanced back, having caught snippets of what Kagome had said. "It may be attacking!" She shouted so the two could hear her.  
  
"I can't feel a heavy jyaki, but we still don't know what kind of youkai it is. We should take some precaution and move in from the other side of the mountain."  
  
The two girls nodded. Sango signaled to Kirara to begin her downward descent. "It's a smart idea, houshi-sama." The unspoken reply hung in everyone's mind that this was precisely the opposite of what Inuyasha would have done. Kagome felt a wry grin spread over her features, as she remembered how Inuyasha loved to make grand entrances in a fight, and was never much one for tricks or surprises against his opponent.  
  
As the cat demon flew nearer to the ground, the wind lessened, and the three could converse easier in the calmer atmosphere.  
  
"Look! There's an outcropping of houses in that direction! I'm sure the villagers have some information about the youkai. They could tell us something that will help us fight it!" Miroku nudged Sango as they landed softly.  
  
Shippo took his place on Kagome's shoulder, and Kirara shrunk to her kitten-sized form in a blast of flame, settling herself atop Sango. The rings on his staff jingling, Miroku quickly strode towards the dusty huts that stood beside the crags of the mountain. The two women followed, Sango lugging her Hiraikotsu, Kagome swinging her bow and quiver over her shoulder.  
  
As they neared the edge of the houses, they spied two ladies washing clothing upon the bank of a trickling stream, apparently deep in troubled conversation. The charming monk stepped up behind them, and greeted the two village women with a polite bow. "Onegai, we would be grateful for your assistance, dear ladies. A youkai is stationed at the other side of the mountain, and we need all information possible to exterminate it."  
  
The two middle-aged women looked frightened and saddened at Miroku's words. The one with a stocky build and a thick, drooping face pointed shakily to the side of the mountain. "It came last night.." Her voice was thick with fear, as if the memories were replaying in her head. "It."  
  
Her companion, who had a slighter waist and thick, dark and shining hair, finished her words for her. "The youkai attacked our homes, and a few men were killed. Her husband..We weren't prepared.."  
  
At that moment, Sango and Kagome noticed that the kimono in the woman's hand was soaked by crimson blood, the entire front of it practically dyed a new color. Kagome trembled, her mind conjuring up what type of monster could have caused that damage. Something with sharp claws or teeth. Something large.  
  
Miroku shut his eyes, silently making a motion of prayer in a Buddhist ritual. "Gomenesai, My Lady. This is a terrible loss. I will be honored to lay your dead to rest. These are indeed dangerous times."  
  
Their eyes glittered with shuttered emotion, and they bowed their heads in solemn thanks. Sango was loathe to bring up the demon again, but it was necessary for her to hear the details. She stepped beside the quiet monk, and studied their faces with sorrowful empathy. "Could you...tell us what kind of demon it was.? I know it must be painful for you to think of it.but..." She left the end of her query trailing, hoping that the two would comply.  
  
The woman nodded quickly. "Of course we'll tell you everything we can, taijya-sama, houshi-sama, miko-sama." Kagome blushed deep red.  
  
The lady with the round, sad face spoke up again, her skin drawn tight with sadness. "It was a large as two huts- thick, slimy skin, and with terrible eyes. It was like a dragon, yet it did not have wings or breath of fire. But it's arms...It had gigantic claws that were as long as a man's body. None of our men could battle against it."  
  
Sango pushed a bit further before the women broke down into sobs. "Was its skin tough or scaly?"  
  
She sniffled, rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her blue kimono. Her voice began to shake with tears. "I don't know. No one even got close enough to stab it."  
  
Sango smiled grimly at the woman, and squeezed her shoulder slightly. "Arigatou..I know it is hard to speak of this. You have given us a lot of help."  
  
Miroku bowed once again to the women, and the four moved quietly into the space between the houses. At once, they could see the damage from the attack. Many of the walls and roofs had been torn up or smashed inward. Food and supplies littered the porches and the street. Besides an undamaged building, they saw a line of six bodies, laid on the ground and covered in cloth.  
  
When they approached the group of bodies, a shaky man appeared in the doorway of the building, his face paled and somber.  
  
Miroku greeted the man in the same way he had the women, though more reserved this time. "Would you like us to lay them to rest for you, sir?" He nodded, silently, a grateful expression fleeting across his face. "Do you mind if we take a look at their wounds before we do so?" He shook his head, his lips curling painfully. Leaving them to view the bodies, he retreated back into the house.  
  
Sango immediately knelt down next to one of the bodies. Pulling back the cloth, they were met with a gruesome sight. She fought back a short wave of nausea, remembering the slaughter that had been brought down upon her own village.  
  
The man's face was barely recognizable as a human's anymore, ripped and slashed to pieces. Along his side, blood caked his entire shirt, and had dried into a deathly black. Kagome was forced to look away at the vision of his torn limbs and visible bones. Shippo looked on with an expression of shock and dismay.  
  
Sango's hands hovered over the spots of injury, and she turned back to the monk. "It seems as if the claws pierced straight through his head. It's as if he was picked up with one set of claws," she noted the gauges in his limbs, "and was stabbed through with the other. This could be a very dangerous fight." Miroku nodded. Looking at the other corpses, almost the same kinds of injuries were present on all the bodies.  
  
"Well, let us bury them first, and then we can build up a plan. Putting the dead to rest is our first task. It seems as if this demon chooses to attack solely at night. We may be able to wait a while." The others nodded, and, one by one, they carried them to the outskirts, and set burials for each dead villager. Miroku recited prayers for each grave and the women settled meager bouquets of flowers on each mound.  
  
Inuyasha could see no end in sight to the forest. It seemed to expand on and on, immeasurably. Finally, with a growl of frustration, he climbed swiftly to the top branch of a tall tree. Up ahead, he saw a tall cliff. Maybe that was the direction in which the group had headed. It was worth a try. Leaping down, the flash of steely white and flowing red disappeared from the clearing. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N- Wow..this WAS going to be a one-shot..hehe..I guess it's going to be a bit longer than planned. Hope you liked this chapter. It was enjoyable to write. I would actually write more, but I'm exhausted, and must get up early. The new moon will rise in time, and the carrier of the shard will be revealed. Sleep tight. R&R  
~Sadia~ 


	5. Chapter 5: The Carrier of the Shard

DISCLAIMER- don't own inuyasha. Happy? (  
  
Thanks for the reviews! I love writing this story..it keeps me busy and happy and feeling creative. Enjoy.  
  
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Last time...  
The group comes upon a village that has been attacked by the carrier of the shard. They learn that 6 villagers were slaughtered, and their wounds tell Sango that the demon has very larges claws, pincers or teeth. I guess we'll find out, won't we? Inuyasha is catching up to them, but it is getting harder for him to follow, as his nose isn't quite up to it's natural abilities.  
  
Now..  
  
"Arigatou gozaimas, houshi-sama!" A small group of villagers bowed gratefully to the monk, their palms placed flat against each other in a sign of respect. Miroku accepted their thanks humbly, and assured them that their worries could be laid to rest once they had exterminated the youkai.  
  
From the descriptions of the village people, the four were able to piece together an idea of what the youkai would look like- large and ferocious topped the lists of most of them. Once they had regretfully backed out of all offers to let them stay the night in the village, they set out for the other side of the mountain  
  
In the time that they had laid the slain men and women to rest, the sun had sunk lower in the sky, pooling its orange light on the line on the horizon. Shockingly, the demon that they were after had not yet moved from the base of the cliff.  
  
"Most likely, this youkai is weak in daylight hours," mused Sango, as they traced a path around the edge of the steep mountain rock.  
  
"Could it have a nest at the other side?" piped up Kagome, having been left to her thoughts for a while now.  
  
Sango was silent in thought, absently stroking Kirara's tails that hung over her shoulder. "It depends what type of demon it is, but it sounds from the villagers' accounts as if it is reptilian. It could have its eggs hidden in a cave."  
  
The group had been trudging along for quite some time, and had not found any indication that they were getting closer. "...Kagome-sama, are the shards any closer?"  
  
Without warning, the sensation of the shards abruptly spiked, and Kagome shuddered in response. "..Kagome-chan?" Sango hovered over her, perplexed.  
  
"It's just around the corner.I think..I think that it's awake."  
  
Inuyasha stepped out of the forest, surveying the area quickly with his shining, golden eyes. In front of him was a tall cliff, nestled in trees and a blanket of grass. Even if the scents of everything around him were becoming increasingly dulled, he faintly sniffed out a youkai. This must have been where the others were heading.  
  
A fierce grin molding over his features, he leapt lithely to the smooth rock face, careful to remain quiet as he moved over the ground.  
  
And he smelt something different. It was Kagome, and she wasn't too far away from him. Not only her, but also Miroku, Sango and the two little ones. He almost chuckled, imagining the surprise on their faces when he would pop out and blow the demon into bits with his attacks. He was definitely in the mood for one last fight before he was helpless for the night.  
  
From behind them he could hear them discussing the situation amongst themselves in frantic tones.  
  
"There it is- the cave! It must be inside there. I sense its jyaki much clearer from here. Sango, should we drive it out, or assault it inside its home?"  
  
Sango pursed her lips for a moment then nodded with deliberation. "Kagome-chan, do you have your 'matches' with you?"  
  
Kagome nodded quickly, and without ado, dug out a matchbook from her giant yellow backpack. Taking the book from her friend, Sango stealthily made her way to the edge of the cave, motioning for the others to follow her. The two complied, crouching down and moving as quietly as possible beside the entrance. Sango instructed them to tie strips of cloth, also from Kagome's bottomless bag, around their noses and mouths. She then handed each a flat, woven fan, motioning silently for them to blow the fire's smoke directly into the cave. Miroku and Kagome nodded in understanding.  
  
Expertly, the demon exterminator crouched down, pulling up enough grass and dead branches to create a small blaze. She left the work of lighting the matched to Kagome. Sango never could quite get the hang of rubbing the ends of two surfaces to create the fire, and always ended up singing the skin of her fingers.  
  
At her signal, Kagome swiftly lit a match, it's flame momentarily wavering in the sharp breeze. She tossed it onto the bed of kindling. Sango blew lightly on the ember among the grass, coaxing the fire to burn brighter. Within a short time, they had a fire crackling at the entrance to the cave. Sango produced a packet of silvery powder from her belt, and sprinkled it liberally within the flames.  
  
The wind created by the three pumping fans caused the sweet-smelling fog to rush into the open cave.  
Inuyasha took a long, deep breath of the substance they were pushing into the demon's lair. He immediately coughed and spluttered, his ears drooping in confusion. While the smoke wasn't very strong, it certainly irritated his senses. Maybe if he had been up to his full strength, it might have disabled him a bit more.  
  
He covered his sensitive nose with the sleeve of his fire-rat armor, and crept closer to the fire. He could now see them clearly from behind the rock face.  
  
After a few minutes of blowing the sweet smoke into the cave, the group heard a rumbling from deep inside the hollows of the mountain.  
  
"..should we keep on blowing it in, or wait for it to come to us?" Miroku paused for a moment to wipe his brow, his voice muffled by the cloth that was tied loosely over his mouth.  
  
Sango also stopped fanning. "I think it's going to come to us any moment. Leave the fire burning, and let us get prepared for it."  
  
The group positioned themselves farther away from the entrance. One by one, they brandished their weapons, a quivering and apprehensive silence falling over them. Although fights against shard-carrying youkai were their specialty, each time they faced a different fear of the unknown.  
  
Accompanied by gurgled roars, and the scraping of rocks, in time a huge specimen wedged its way out of the cave, looking more than slightly annoyed by the smell surrounding it. It reared its ugly head in a deafening roar, causing Shippo to clutch his kitsune ears in distress.  
  
The appeared demon was, like the village woman had described, dragon- like. Its body was long and bulky, with a slithering tail protruding from its spine, which thudded and rolled around in the dirt. Neither the tail, nor any part of its body, had scales, but it had thick, sharp spikes at the end. The deadly-looking barbs matched those that sprung from the tips of the demon's toes.  
  
In the art of practiced confident, Sango leapt in front of the demon, whirling her Hiraikotsu with a hunter's grace. She was lit by the glowing twilight, a fierce look adorning her brow. The demon barred long, piercing fangs at the exterminator, practically putting its face eye-to-eye with the girl. Sango stared down the glowing crimson eyes, not budging from her stance.  
  
Inuyasha looked on at the growing conflict, wondering when would be the best time to jump in to be the hero. The fight began swiftly, and he was having a tough time finding the right moment to save their asses.  
  
With once quick swoop, the demon swung its claws directly at Sango, who whipped out the bone boomerang, using it as a shield to block the massive blows. Spurred by the attack, Miroku and Kagome revealed their hiding place behind a tree, and joined in the fray. Snatching an ofuda from the billowing sleeves of his robes, Miroku flung it onto the demon's forehead, testing its reaction.  
  
The youkai howled with indignance, but continued to slash at its prey, the gigantic claws slamming into the ground, making canyons in the hardened dirt. Sango managed to dodge a swinging claw, and clipped off one of its tail-spikes with the boomerang. This caused another bellow to issue from the demon's mouth, and it became even more enraged.  
  
Kagome stepped closer to the demon, trying not to be noticed as she latched an arrow into her fingers. The wood of the bow creaked as she pulled back the string, shakily aiming the arrow. Shippo clung to her ankles, gently encouraging her to make the hit. She raised the bow, her eyes meeting the forehead of the creature, where she could faintly see the glimmer of its Shikon shard.  
  
As she was preparing to loose her miko's arrow on the demon, it shoved its tail violently across the ground, first traveling to slam Sango into the ground, then back-lashing to disrupt Kagome's aim. The schoolgirl, along with her kitsune friend, was thrown back a couple of paces by the blow, but she only retained a large bruise where the end of the tail had struck her.  
  
Sango, on the other hand, had taken the entire blow, and a spike had lodged itself in the side of her leg, and then had pulled out when the tail had moved away. She cried out in pain, clutching the bleeding mass that was her leg. She fell to the ground, curling around her wounded limb. Kirara rushed to her mistress, pulling her to safety.  
  
"SANGO!" Miroku's face was drained in horror as he watched the beautiful woman fall. As he saw her lay up against a tree trunk, he knew she was alive, but not faring well.  
  
Miroku was now the only one left standing. He yelled soundly at the youkai, twirling his ringed staff in a menacing way. "I'll get that shard from you. If you don't want a taste of my kazaana, you'll hand it over!" A bead of sweat ran from his forehead, as his brow furrowed in anger.  
  
The demon seemed to not understand a word that the monk had said, and roared again, advancing on the small figure.  
  
"Kagome-sama! Are you ok? Onegai- where is the shard?"  
  
Kagome sat up slowly, her head spinning a little. "I'm fine!The shard is in its forehead..but how will you-"  
  
This was the moment that the hanyou picked to jump into the fight. Unsheathing his Tetsusaiga, and relishing in the clean noise of metal against metal that it made when it transformed, he leapt out to face the demon.  
  
Kagome's body lurched, as she watched Inuyasha rest the Tetsusaiga on his shoulder, his usual cocky grin plastering his mouth. "Inuyasha! NO! BAKA! It's almost.." She glanced at the sky, which was rapidly darkening. In a few moments the sun would set, and Inuyasha would be human. He was lucky that the sword had even transformed for him this time.  
  
Miroku spluttered in surprise and anger. "Inuyasha! You fool! Stay back- we can deal with the youkai on our own."  
  
Inuyasha turned to the monk in mock disgust, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Heh! Bouzu- you've got two wounded, and your wind tunnel can't suck up a shard. Stop bitchin' and let me finish this small fish off!"  
  
He lowered the Tetsusaiga to his waist, prepared to send his Kaze no Kizu at the startled demon. As he began his trademark jump in the air, a sudden fluctuation of his youki burgeoned around his muscular figure. Before he could smash the demon, the sword had pulled back into its normal, rusty form, and Inuyasha was rapidly losing his hanyou features. Black spread throughout his hair, his claws shrunk to human fingernails, and his ears disappeared, shifting under his hair and losing their canine appearance. His eyes were no longer their normal, flashing gold, but had morphed into a soft violet-gray.  
  
Kagome, Shippo and Miroku let out one collective gasp, as the demon now looked on at a human with his rusty, beaten-up katana waving in the air like a child's plaything. A gurgling chuckle, which sounded much like its roar, spilled from its throat. Not even patient enough to wait for Inuyasha to regain his balance, he slammed the boy into the side of the cliff with the flat side of one of his claws.  
  
"INUYASHAAA!" Kagome desperately fumbled for an arrow as she grabbed her bow. As quickly as she could muster, she sent an arrow towards its head. The purifying arrow grazed the youkai's cheek, but barely even distracted it. Shaking off the pain the arrow gave, it blundered towards the fallen Inuyasha, moving in for the kill. It raised its clawed fingers, and with utmost speed rammed the spiked into the pile of rubble and rock.  
  
"NOOO!" Kagome wailed at the fallen figure, and Miroku stood in stunned abhorrence. When the dust cleared, the two looked on in shock. The demon giggled in a frightening way, grinding the edge of its claw deeper into Inuyasha's stomach. A holler of pure and anguished pain was driven from Inuyasha's lips, as he struggled to fight the clawed appendage off.  
  
Unable to stand the wail of her companion, Kagome stood upright, notching her last arrow onto the bow. Shaking with fear, anger and grief, the miko screamed at the youkai, shrieked on and on, louder and louder, till it turned to her. With no hesitation, Kagome let loose the arrow straight into the shard on the youkai's forehead.  
  
When the purifying arrow struck, the demon howled, and pulled its claw from the hold of Inuyasha's abdomen. With the force from the hit, the shard was flung from its forehead. Seeing it falling, Miroku dived for the shard. Before the demon could turn on him, he had released his wind tunnel, and, with one last bellow, the demon was sucked into the black hole of the monk's hand.  
  
As soon as the youkai had vanished into Miroku's hand, and the wind tunnel was sealed, Kagome was sprinting to Inuyasha. She threw herself at his side, tears threatening to burst from her eyes. He laid flat in the midst of fallen rock, sweat and blood everywhere on his body. He was cringing, his face glistening, his eyes almost glazed over with the full effect of the pain.  
  
She cried out as she saw the deep wound in his stomach. It looked as deadly as the wound his brother had given to him almost a year's time before, when he had thrust his poison-clawed hand through Inuyasha's stomach. But, Inuyasha had not been human that time.  
  
Kagome's hands hovered helplessly over the gaping wound, trying to find a way to stop the bleeding without damaging Inuyasha more. Having rolled off the ground, Miroku was quickly beside Kagome, a grim look covering his face. "Kagome-sama," he whispered, noticing her frantic motions. "Calm down. We need to remove his kimono to see the wound. Let's do it together.carefully, now.."  
  
She nodded, shakily, reaching out to touch the hem of the kimono. The entire front was soaked in dark blood. Shivering, Miroku assisted her in peeling the garment from Inuyasha's torso. He grunted and moaned in pain as the now-red undershirt was also removed. When the cloth was pulled away from his body, they could see the blood and tissue gaping from the ripped skin, and one or two ribs far below. Kagome had to struggle with herself not to look away from Inuyasha.  
  
Retrieving her medical supplies kit from her bag, she nervously told Shippo to go to Sango, and to wrap her wound to arrest the bleeding. Shippo nodded, silently. Miroku watched him go, his face grim at the sight of the wounded Sango. A pained scream from Inuyasha made him turn his head back to their current task. Kagome was trying to clean the edges of the wound, but the writhing movements of Inuyasha were giving her a hard time.  
  
"I..he's not a hanyou..I don't want to..kill him." She sobbed frantically, delicately moving around the ripped flesh to dab as much blood as possible with her antiseptic-laden handkerchief. "We have to take him back to the village."  
  
Miroku nodded in quick agreement. After motioning to Kirara, he placed a comforting hand upon Kagome's shoulder, his eyes overflowing with kindness. "You have done the best you can Kagome. Let's get him to a doctor."  
  
Kirara moved carefully to Inuyasha, Sango already laid across her back. The cat demon knelt on the ground to give them easier access. With a great heave, Miroku and Kagome lifted the limp Inuyasha in their arms, placing him softly in front of Sango.  
  
"Take them to the village, Kirara. We'll get there as fast as we can." The cat gave a short growl to indicate her understanding, and moved swiftly out of the clearing, remaining careful not to jar the two injured fighters.  
  
Kagome stood still for a few seconds, watching them leave, tears still running down her face. If Inuyasha could make it through the night, he would live. But in his current state.could he? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hope you liked the action, the gore and the wildly flying emotions. I tried to make this chapter longer than the others. I think I succeeded. Enjoy, and R&R like always! Thanks for the comments! If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. -Sadia 


	6. Chapter 6: Healing Process

DISCLAIMER- nope, don't own Inuyasha. I own DVDs and a neato poster..but no real-life hanyou.  
  
Hey everyone! Wow...thanks for the reviews. They were really motivational, and very sweet! I hope you enjoy this chapter(here's the romance stuff for you.nope, no lemons...stop crying.) Have fun, and keep the reviews coming, my fellow fanfiction-freaks! (ahh, yes..alliteration ^_^)  
  
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Last time..  
Inuyasha catches up to his friends just as they are about to pounce on the demon at its cave lair. They drive it out of its home using scented smoke. In the fight for the shard, Sango gets a bad wound from the demon's tail-spikes. Inuyasha jumps in to smash their opponent with the Kaze no Kizu, but at precisely the wrong moment, the sun sets and he is human. The youkai throws him against the mountain, and bores its claw into Inuyasha's stomach. Kagome hits the shard with an arrow, and when it is retrieved, the demon is sucked up in Miroku's kazaana. The two injured fighters have been taken to the village on the other side of the mountain.  
  
Now..  
  
The night air was cool, stinging her reddening cheeks as she jogged across the flat, rocky ground. Next to her was the thud of Miroku's flat sandals and the jingling of the rings on his staff. Puffing out breath after breath, struggling to keep her feet in line, Kagome searched hopelessly for a speck of light in the distance. It seemed the trail connecting to the village had lengthened since they had walked it that afternoon.  
  
"Keep-it-up-Ka-go-me-sa-ma." breathed Miroku, as he pushed further along the path.  
  
Her lungs burnt inside and out, the fire in them licking up the bottom of her throat. Any longer and she didn't think her body could take it. But she would wrench her body to the farthest lengths if only Inuyasha were to survive. The remembrance of his deathly pale figure clinging to the fallen rock jarred her memory. His face clenched in pain, wordless grunts issuing from his mouth, and blood everywhere. She gritted her teeth and began to run even faster. The tears that hung around her eyelids were only held back by her physical exertion.  
  
When cramps had begun to steal their way into Kagome's calves and her breath was jumping in short gasps, around the corner they spied the faint light of a fire.  
  
She glanced at Miroku beside her, who forced a small grin onto his face. "We...we..are..here...We.made..it.."  
  
As they rounded upon the cluster of houses, Kagome was the first into the firelight. Not even pausing to catch a much-needed breath, she dashed to a group of men standing at the edge of the houses.  
  
They looked at her in wonder, noticing her flushed face, lack of breath, and frantic, sorrowed face. "Where...where..is...he?" Before they could answer, she had collapsed on the ground, gulping for breath in the night air.  
  
Miroku was quickly at her side, helping her to breathe and cool off. He looked into the curious faces of the villagers, his body also tingling with the long run. "Where.did they take him? Did..did you..see the two wounded..that were taken here?"  
  
They nodded quickly towards him, one of them speaking up quickly. "Hai, houshi-sama. The cat youkai arrived a short time ago with the two on her back. They are in miko-sama's hut!" He pointed his gnarled finger to an open doorway a short distance away from which light poured out of.  
  
Miroku nodded quickly. "Arigatou!" Helping Kagome to her feet, they hobbled their way to the entrance of the priestess's hut.  
  
The room was lit by a bright fire in a cooking pit at the center of the room. Sprawled unceremoniously across the smooth, scrubbed wooden boards was Inuyasha, looking flushed and drawn. His robes still lay open to reveal his horrifying wound. A woman dressed in the robes of a priestess knelt next to him, swathing his forehead with cool water.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome had flung herself on the floor of the hut, forgetting her own soreness and lack of breath.  
  
Sango sat, slouched against the far wall. Her lips were tight with pain as another woman was tightly binding the deep gash in her thigh. The monk was quick to kneel beside her.  
  
"Sango..are.you-" Miroku had already grasped Sango's hand in his, searching her face for a sign of her condition. The demon exterminator was so focused on the pain of the tight bandages, that she had forgotten to blush at the feel of the monk's warm palms envelope hers.  
  
"I'm..I'll be alright.houshi-sama." Another wave of pain caused her to bite her lip. "But, Inuyasha is in bad condition.." She nodded to the black-haired Inuyasha a few feet from them.  
  
Kagome looked nervously at Inuyasha's sweating brow. His face was tightened and flushed with pain and fever, and his eyes had not opened yet. She turned the priestess who was tending to him, her voice trembling with worry. "Will..he.be all right, miko-sama?"  
  
The woman curled her brow in frustration, watching the boy squirm at her light touch. "He won't let me near him. I tried to tend his wounds, but it's almost impossible with him refusing help. He's very strong and very insistent, even in the shape that he's in.." Kagome frowned. Even so close to death, Inuyasha's stubborn nature still shone through. "You are close to him.maybe he will let you help him.."  
  
Suddenly, the young schoolgirl felt the fumbling of Inuyasha's fingers along the edge of her skirt. He was searching for her hand to hold. "Ka..Kagome." His voice was softened by his human form, and almost hushed to a whisper by the pain of his wound. Kagome leaned in further towards him, gripping his hand tightly in hers.  
  
"..Inu..yasha..?"  
  
His eyes fluttered open for a second, then shut closed as the light flew into his eyes. "Kagome...would you..heal me.?" His fingers felt unnaturally weak and limp in her grasp, his arm weighing down like lead.  
  
The elderly woman looked on at Kagome, and at the boy besides them. "You.are a miko..?"  
  
Kagome stuttered, trying to find the best words. "I...know how to tend to his wounds. I have my own medicine kit..if I had hot water and clean cloth, I could do it.I.. Thank you for taking him in for the night, and doing what you could."  
  
The woman smiled gratefully at the pretty girl. "He is in good hands with you. I have done all that I can, and it is right for those who know him best to help him. I will get you more hot water and dressings." Exchanging bows with both Kagome and Miroku, she backed out of the hut, hurrying to gather materials for Kagome.  
  
When Sango's bleeding leg had been wrapped, she nodded knowingly to the monk beside her. "Houshi-sama..there is room for us next door, I believe."  
  
He nodded solemnly. "I think it is best we let them alone. Kagome- sama.." She looked up sharply, her eyes obviously reluctant to leave Inuyasha. "If you need our help, we are next door." She nodded grimly, her mind distracted by the restless boy below her.  
  
As the two left, she picked up the soft rag that the priestess had left, and wrung it through with cool water. Carefully, she lightly wiped the sweat from Inuyasha's forehead, careful not to irritate his eyes or cause him discomfort. His eyes opened slowly again, glazed with fever. "Kagome..." he murmured.  
  
The woman had returned with a cauldron of boiling water and a stack of clean cloth for Kagome. She set them down next to the fire. "If you need assistance..." Kagome nodded, absently, not even paying the priestess attention as she bowed out, shutting the woven door behind her.  
  
Hesitantly, Kagome laid Inuyasha's arm on the floor, and moved to drag the cauldron, cloth and her medical kit to his side. Cringing at the pained yelp that pulled from his throat, she forced herself to remove his fire-rat coat from his body.  
  
"Inuyasha..gomenesai.this will hurt.a bit..." She murmured comfortingly in his ear. The young miko supported Inuyasha's torso with one of her arms, trying her hardest not to jar the wound in his stomach. Clinging to the back of his neck with her hand, she slid the coat off his body with the other. The light woven undershirt slid off easily with the kimono. Gingerly, she rested Inuyasha's body against the hard wood floor again, tossing the blood-soaked garments to the side.  
  
The man was now half-clothed in the firelight, his wound glistening brilliantly with fresh blood. She quickly mixed in a batch of Kaede's special herbs with the boiling contents of the cauldron. Snatching one of the clean cloths from the pile beside her, she soaked it in the hot water. "Inuyasha...Inuyasha..can you hear me?" The figure squirmed a little, letting out a sharp grunt under the fingertips on his bare chest. "I have to clean your wound now..It will hurt, but just hold on for a little longer.."  
  
He nodded slowly, tightening his jaw in anticipation. Tenderly, she began to dab at the corners of the wound with the saturated cloth. The moment the hot liquid touched the ragged flesh, his back arched involuntarily in pain, a cry ripping from his lips. The concern in Kagome's voice made it come out in a high-pitched squeak. "Inu.yasha..I'm.I'm sorry.."  
  
He shook his head, brushing off her apology, and bracing himself for another wave of pain. Reluctantly, she began to wipe the blood off again. He restrained himself from giving into the call of the pain again, his fingers once again finding her skirt to latch onto. With each stroke of the warring cloth, his grip tightened on the material. Kagome hated to see him in such pain, but at least he was letting her clean the wounds without much fuss.  
  
When she had cleared the wound of as much blood as she could, she discarded the now-reddened cloth, and picked up a new one. This she dipped in antiseptic from the modern times that she always carried with her, and with it, further cleaned the recesses of the deep wound.  
  
The grunts of pain were still rumbling inside Inuyasha's chest, but they were lessening to whimpers as Kagome finished cleaning the wound. She sat still for a moment, watching Inuyasha breathe shakily. "I have to wrap your stomach now, Inuyasha. It might hurt, but I'll have to lift you off the ground again." He gave her another silent nod to prove that he had understood. She was surprised as he struggled to lift the top half of his body from the ground, his forearms supporting his shoulders. He hissed out in pain, a bead of sweat tumbling down his cheek. His eyes fluttered open once again, the blue-gray of his human form flickering to her face. His paled lips moved quietly to push out a response. "I'm..ready."  
  
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Hmm.that chapter was very strange to write. It's a delicate scene to write, and I need more time for the rest of it. Sorry I ended it where I did, but the next one's coming very soon. Hope you liked it, besides the short length. R+R please! ~Sadia~ 


	7. Chapter 7: Brave the Long Night

DISCLAIMER- These characters are Rumiko Takahashi's. What I own, I own only in my dreams.  
  
A/N- Yay! Another chapter! More romantic fluff- woohoo! Actually, it feels like half fluff/half Emergency Room drama. Sorry that Chapter 6 ended in such a weird place, but I'll try to make it up to everyone with this one. Enjoy, and review please!  
  
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Last time...  
Kagome and Miroku sprint as fast as humanly possible to the village, and there they find Inuyasha and Sango being tended by the village priestess. Sango's leg is wrapped fairly easily, but Inuyasha is a different matter. His body ridden with pain and fever, Kagome is the only one he will allow to touch his wounds. She is left alone to clean and wrap his stomach, and attempt to keep him alive until the morning.  
  
Now..  
  
"I'm ready..." his eyelids encased his eyes again, and she watched as he shifted on his forearms, trying to conceal the trembling of his limbs.  
  
Now that he seemed more alert than before, she felt more relieved, if not a little self-conscious. Here he was, his muscled chest bared to her, alone with her at night, waiting for her to wrap his wound. Trying to push her momentary discomfort from her thoughts, she pulled a roll of bandages from her medical kit and began to unravel it slowly.  
  
Slowly, she positioned herself between his legs, and, with the greatest of care, reached around his waist to begin covering his lower half with the thick bandage She watched his face, expectantly. Under the dark bangs that hung across his forehead, she notice the crinkling of his brow and the way his jaw fluctuated every time her hand moved against the wound. When her hand brushed against the flesh of his back, he suddenly roared in anguish.  
  
Jumping back, startled, the bandages rolled to the floor as her hands shook. "INUYASHA! Oh no.what did I..?!"  
  
He shook his head bravely, waiting for the pain to fade a bit before he actually tried to speak. "There..in my back...something- sharp..." his breath came to a ragged peak as he spoke the words.  
  
Kagome's face drained with worry, and she moved behind him to check his back. Supporting his shoulders with her palms, she looked down at his lower back. With a gasp, she noticed a sharp point protruding from the skin, obviously buried deep close to his spine. Slowly and carefully, she moved her hand to hover over the gash in his back. Some of the demon's claw had obviously shattered and lodge itself within Inuyasha's torso.  
"Do it. Fast. Take it out- please, Kagome!" A shuddered breath issued from between his lips. She was glad for once that she could not see the pained expression on his face-if she had, she wouldn't have been able to rip out the claw piece.  
  
Without more hesitation, the young miko snatched at the glistening shard of the claw, ripping it unceremoniously from the boy's back. Within seconds after she had removed the splinter from his skin, it seemed as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his body.  
  
"Is..that..do you feel any more pieces, Inuyasha?" Letting a sigh escaped his lips, he shook his head slowly, his arms faltering a little as they supported his body. "I have to finish bandaging your wound, now..I'll try to make it as quick as possible." Regretting having to touch the deep slash in his abdomen again, she at least tried to make Inuyasha more comfortable as she fixed him up.  
  
Gingerly, Kagome scooted forward, placing her knees beneath Inuyasha's bare shoulders. She let her palms graze the flat of his arms, motioning for him to lay back against her. Compliantly, the feverish man lay sprawled tensely on her lap, his muscles still flinching for the pain every time he moved.  
  
Reaching for the forgotten bandages once again, Kagome started where she had left off, tightening the thick cloth around Inuyasha's slimly cut waist. He was squirming less now, the removal of the claw seeming to have dulled the pain. Working on putting the dressings on comfortably for her now-human companion, the miko leaned further forward over his torso.  
  
This proved to make her job even more uncomfortable. Despite the fact that she was in charge of healing this awful injury, it didn't help that Inuyasha was lying across her thighs, his head nestled in her lap. Memories of the first night she had learned his hidden secret rushed back to her...the echo of his soft words and sweet compliment of her scent.  
  
She tried harder to focus on the bandage rather than the presence of his handsome form so close to her.  
  
As she pulled the cloth extra-tight, another hiss was drawn from Inuyasha. She flinched, flustered, as his warm breath brushed against the skin of her cheek, causing a blush to spread across her features. She once again reprimanded herself for thinking this way around the injured boy. After all, the only reason they were in this compromising position was because Inuyasha had been near death. If not for that, they would be resting or eating a meal together, but certainly not tangled up bodily against one another in an empty, fire-lit room.  
  
Resolutely, she ringed the dressing around the wound one last time, and fastened it securely. "Inuyasha..we're all done now!" She struggled to put a cheerful note in this comment, though she was still worried about his pain-wracked body...still confused about her own feelings towards him.  
  
Silently, Inuyasha gave a little nod, laying his head further back upon her legs. Now that she had finished her work, she couldn't prevent the red to escape her cheeks. Noticing the sweat appearing on his brow, and the flush still apparent on his face, she reached for the bowl with the soaked cloth- she was not only aiming to soothe the black-haired boy, but to also distract her from the thoughts that swamped her brain.  
  
She swathed the heated skin slowly with the damp cloth, looking for his facial muscles to relax a little bit. She tried to make her voice sound clean, soft and soothing as she cooled his fever. "Try to sleep a bit, Inuyasha..." He grunted a bit, shifting his body slowly.  
  
In the stone silence, she was given time to study his face. Even in his human form, which he despised so much, he was still beautiful. Still perfect, even when injured. His sharp chin, broad jaw, full lips, all were perfect. Unconsciously, she stroked a fingertip across his cheek. If there was one thing, though, that she missed most about him as a human, it was his deep, expressive golden eyes, that glinted in shadowed fear, anger, hate, passion...and love.  
  
Without warning, his temporarily gray eyes had locked upon hers, still glazed from fever and pain, yet sharp and knowing. She started a bit, the embarrassment returning. He tried to a smirk a little, though the pain kept his usual attitude at bay. "Don't pretend.that you're not tired, wench..."  
  
She furrowed her brow at him, pretending to be offended at his often- used name for her, but her heart was flitting within her. When he was human, his voice was tender, almost timid. Even his regular tough exterior was a little softened during his transformation.  
  
Leaning back over him again, she feigned anger. "I can't afford to be tired with you on the brink of death!"  
  
His lips twisted slightly at her remark, his eyelids fluttering shut again. He reached back slightly, his roughened hand stroking her upper leg quickly, coaxing her to move. Kagome was more than a little flustered, not only at his touch, but at what his intentions were.  
  
Moving against the pang of the wound, he tried to move off her lap. When she thought that he was shunning her help and her presence, he opened his eyes to her again. "You need your rest too, Kagome." She once again noted the unusual thoughtfulness that shone through on these nights. "Lay..lay down with me." (A/N: No, you pervs! Not like that. He's injured, dang it, give him some leeway- he wants his girl's comfort, that's all. ^_^)  
  
A little taken aback by his request, she maneuvered next to him, cautiously laying beside him. His eyes were closed to her again, and she thought he was asleep. Kagome leaned her head back against the hard floor, knowing that she would probably never get any rest, but could at least stay beside him.  
  
Surprisingly, Inuyasha's strong arm had moved to encircle her shoulders, pulling her swiftly close to him. His strength, even when he was deathly hurt, was shocking, and she was soon in a bone-crushing hug against his ribs. She let out a gasp of astonishment, feeling his warm chest so close, his hot breath blowing against her head, his thick hair pressed against her cheek. It was unthinkably intimate, though Kagome could see that Inuyasha wasn't letting her go any time soon. In fact, Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted him to.  
  
"Kagome..." she lifted her face slightly to look into his glinting eyes. "Thank you." Her breath moved in as a sharp gasp when she realized he had pulled her up to meet his face. Their noses were inches from each other, and she stared back into his gray-violet eyes, almost drowning in the fullness of them. She shuffled through her brain, trying to think of some way to respond. Before she could think again, those beautiful lips had just barely grazed hers.  
  
Before she could register what had taken place, he had settled his head back, and dropped his eyelids. She stared at him for just a moment longer, a new shock assaulting her mind. The memory of the little kiss still burned into her lips. A little smile creased her lips, and, as his grip on her tightened once more, she relaxed into his hold. She let herself enjoy the tough-muscled body against hers, his warm body heat radiating against hers, and the strong fingers clutching against her shoulder. Her tiny smile slowly spread as she grinned to herself.  
  
They would survive the long night together.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
^_^ Well, I hope you enjoyed this weird, fluff-ridden chapter. It was a very challenging chapter, and it turned out fine, I hope. The ending is so cheesy, but we Inuyasha fangirls love that kind of stuff, don't we, girls? I hope to get some more reviews from my readers. If you're seeing this on fanfiction.net, it's a new chapter, but if you're on Mediaminer.org, I am SO SORRY for this horribly long wait. I've been really busy and also have procrastinated in every area of work in my life (i.e., summer homework ; ) ).  
  
I hope to write one more chapter after this, just to end everything smoothly. Don't worry, if you enjoyed this fic, I hope to write another one sometime this fall- that is, if three AP classes don't kill me first! ^_^  
  
Keep the reviews coming! ~Sadia~ 


	8. Chapter 8: The New Day Begins

DISCLAIMER- Do I really have to keep on telling you this? Oh well. Don't own Inuyasha or his friends ::sigh:: though I would gladly let either him or Miroku spend a day with me.or Kouga...or Sesshomaru. God, I need to stop these daydreams. j/k  
  
A/N: WOW, everybody. Thank you so much for your kind reviews! Unfortunately, I think this might be the last chapter in this fic. ::Cries:: I know! I enjoyed writing it so much. But, hopefully soon, I will write another fic if it is wanted. Let me know- anybody have a good idea for another fluff? Enjoy Chapter 8! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Last time..  
Kagome struggles to bind Inuyasha's wounds and not cause him any pain. Thankfully, she is able to perform her duty well, and that's when the waffiness settles in. In rewards for her kindness, Inuyasha thanks her, asks her to sleep next to him, and ::sigh:: gives her a little kiss.  
  
Now..  
  
He was completely comfortable on his sleeping-place on the floor. His body felt as if it were wrapped in warmth. He relished the comfort of his position on the floor, wondering why he felt so much more relaxed than he usually did after any period of sleep.  
  
Leisurely, he pressed the tip of his tongue against his sharp fangs. Oh, yes, was it ever good to be a hanyou again. ::Pause:: At that moment, his eyes shot fully open. He had been human last night.  
  
And, suddenly, the warmth and comfort he had felt upon awakening was explained. An arm was curled around his bare chest, attached to a sleeping girl. Kagome. His arms were currently wrapped around her body, holding her closed to his side, her beautiful raven locks spilling across his chest, her light and slow breath pulsing across his skin. His whole face heated rapidly, his eyes widening considerably.  
  
He had been wounded horribly as a human last night- his weak ningen form trashed by the scaly demon's claw that had pierced through his body. He looked down at the bandages around his waist. Of course the pain was very dull now. Kagome had done a good job dressing the wound, and the bleeding had been hindered long ago.  
  
His attention returned to the young girl half laying on top of his chest. And another vague memory pierced his mind. He had kissed her in his fevered state. His lips seemed to burn with the memory, and, if possible, his cheeks became a deeper red. Still wrapped in dreams, Kagome shifted against his body, causing a tingle to spread to his toes. She was really here, curled up with him, sprawled across his body as if it was the most normal thing in the world.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she mumbled, burying her face closer to his stomach. He wheezed a bit out of fright. Should he..wake her? A little voice in his brain nagged him, saying that she looked comfortable in the position that she was in, and it would be cruelty to wake her so suddenly. And, he couldn't deny that a small..no, make that humongous..part of him was thoroughly enjoying this, hoping that the moment could last forever. Maybe he didn't regret that kiss at all...obviously she hadn't..not enjoyed it.She was sleeping on top of him after all, right?  
  
With these thoughts swimming through his head, he let his fingers tighten a bit around her shoulders, relishing the feeling of her light school uniform atop her smooth skin. Yes, he could enjoy this moment for a little bit longer, while they were alone.  
  
His peace with the sleeping Kagome did not last long, however. A familiar smell made touch with Inuyasha's nose, and a small growl rumbled deep in the hanyou's chest. This moment was quickly fading A monk was right outside. Not just any monk! A perverted bouzu! And not just that perverted bouzu, but a bratty ass of a fox demon!  
  
Within moments, a kitsune had bounded into the wooden hut, barreling straight into Kagome, who woke with a start. "Kagome!"  
  
The girl rapidly comprehended the position she was in, and looked quickly into the hanyou's face, which was now just breaths away from hers. The blush now tainted both their cheeks. She squeaked a little, and they were both immediately at opposite ends of the room, trying to conceal their reddened faces.  
  
Shippo was automatically on Inuyasha's head, fisting his hands in the dog demon's white mane, bubbling with cheery comments. "You're better, Inuyasha! We were afraid that you weren't going to survive!" At this, Inuyasha let out a deep snort, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "But, it was lucky that you had Kagome to sleep with last night!"  
  
Unaware in childish bliss of the angry flush apparent on his carrier's face, Shippo grinned down at the flustered Kagome. Inuyasha was already prying Shippo from his hair, and then launched him across the room.  
  
"Fucking brat! WHO ASKED YOU?!" Not daring to look Kagome's way, he began roughly pulling on his inner kimono, an embarrassed pout clouding his face, all the while grumbling fiercely about stupid foxes and their unquenchable ability to state everything so bluntly.  
  
But, the prodding from the more senior members of the group was beyond escape. Miroku had a habit of zeroing in on Inuyasha's weak points. And, much to his dismay, a bop on the head certainly wouldn't quiet a bouzu houshi.  
  
With a sickeningly encouraging smile on his face, he crooked Inuyasha's neck in his elbow, tousling the hanyou's hair, ignoring the obvious distaste present on the boy's lips. "Ah! It's good you had Kagome-sama here to heal you, ne Inuyasha? You two sure had a long night!" His grinned widened further, and he poked Inuyasha in the ribs, smiling as deep growl split from Inuyasha's lips.  
  
Not able to take any more of this embarrassing torture, with Kagome sitting just feet from him, he threw Miroku's arms off him, and stormed out of the hut. The monk grinned after him, shaking his head in bubbling amusement. The hanyou was so predictable!  
  
The morning moved slowly as the five gathered their belongings and thanked the village for their hospitality, Inuyasha avoiding Kagome, Sango and Miroku casting knowing glances at each other.  
  
Their trek back to Kaede's village was more or less uneventful. Besides the slight wavering of sexual tension in the air, the group proceeded in their usual calm and pondering silence.  
  
Enjoying the brisk pace under the cool shade of the expansive forest, Kagome clung onto the small form of Shippo. He was playing with a small yo- yo, giggling at the way the colored piece cut through the air and spun back to his fingers. Kagome grinned cheerfully as she watched him.  
  
The smile turned a bit deeper as she remembered last night. How right it felt. How Inuyasha had hugged her close to him, asked for her to stay, thanked her, nonetheless. She wanted to be right back there on that hard floor, relishing the warmth of his bare chest and feeling his fingers closing in on her skin.  
  
He was maintaining his distance from the others, glancing back ever so often to catch a glimpse of Kagome. As of now, he was deep in thought, his arms folded deep inside the billowing tides of the kimono sleeves.  
  
A small hand had placed itself in the crook of his elbow, the other one snaking around his arm. Damn her! How had she been able to sneak up on him like that without his nose catching her scent? The sneaky wench...  
  
But this train of thought was almost immediately erased from his brain as he looked into that perfect face. A perfect smile. The shining brown eyes overflowing with sweetness.  
  
Circling tighter around his bicep, she beamed up at him, silently.  
  
And the Great Inuyasha smiled back.  
  
THE END  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A/N: So, did you like it?  
  
Goodness, it's done! A wild ride, too. I had a great time writing, and I hope you had a great time reading! I'm looking forward to writing another Inuyasha fic this fall! Stay tuned.  
  
~Sadia~ 


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